TOURIST BOOST FROM EUROPE, AUSTRALIA

High demand for travel packages from June to August

MALAYSIA has become the top destination for European and Australian travellers for this year’s holiday season.

Expedia, the world’s largest online travel company’s travel data, has shown that there has been a high demand for Malaysian cities from June to August.

The final key observation showed the deals for summer sales to Malaysia featured the biggest price discounts and savings of up to 35 per cent for travelers from Australia and the United Kingdom. “Hotel and flight packages from Australia to Kuala Lumpur are 30 per cent cheaper this summer compared with the same period last year. While for packages from the United Kingdom to Kota Kinabalu, the price is lower by 30 to 35 per cent,” Expedia’s statement said.

“Travellers from Europe, specifically from Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom, Netherlands and Belgium, plan to increase their travel to Kuala Lumpur, Kota Kinabalu, Kuching and Johor Baru this summer,” it said.

The statement also mentioned that travellers from Netherlands to Kuala Lumpur were up by nearly 200 per cent this summer compared with the same period last year, with similar trends for travellers from the United Kingdom to Kuching.

Meanwhile, travellers from Southeast Asia have planned to primarily travel in the region. The travel data showed two Malaysian cities benefiting the most — Kota Baru and Johor Baru.

“Travel continues to be on the top of the mind when it comes to summer holidays, and we believe that our growth in booking is reflective of how people are travelling or choosing their destination to spend their summer breaks this year.

“It’s interesting to note that, generally, international travel is still preferred compared with domestic travel,” said Expedia group’s Southeast Asia and India general manager Simon Fiquet.

“The best time to visit Malaysia seems to be universally accepted to be in June for European travellers and July for Australians,” he said.

As for Malaysian travellers, the travel company advised them to travel between June and August this year, as prices would be lower than some Asian destinations.

“For example, Hat Yai and Cebu are more than 50 per cent cheaper, while Kochi is close to 50 per cent cheaper,” the statement said.